Folding screen for hospital bed



United Sttes Patent FOLDING SCREEN FOR HOSPITAL BED Benjamin Marcus, Whitestone, N. Y.

Application December 15, 1954, Serial No. 475,373

2 Claims. (Cl. 160-135) This invention relates to the art of folding screens and particularly concerns a novel screen for a hospital bed or the like.

Conventional screens used for hospital beds generally include frame supporting removable curtains. These frames are mounted on four legs each of which is provided with a caster. This type of hospital bed screen has a number of objectionable features. In the limited space generally available around hospital beds it is diflicult to wheel this type of screen. The protruding legs constitute a safety hazard to hospital personnel who must walk about the screen. The provision of four wheeled .egs is a structural complication which adds to the cost of the screen. In the limited space available for storage these screens when not in use occupy excessive space.

It is intended by the present invention to overcome all of the foregoing disadvantages and difiiculties. In addition certain advantages are provided by the present invention not found in prior folding screens. It is important to note that a screen used for a hospital bed must be substantially flat, that is it must be disposable in a single plane, and be of sufiicient extent to cover at least the length of a hospital bed. Known types of folding screens must be disposed in a zig-zag fashion to permit them to remain upright which prevents their disposition in a single plane when in use.

The folding screen embodying the present invention includes a basic rectangular frame carrying a removable curtain. The lowermost side of the frame is bent in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the rectangle in such a manner that the frame is self-supporting in a vertical position. A plurality of similar frames may be attached together by suitable hinge members. When the screen assembly is folded the several sections are disposed close to one another and the base portions of the several frames nest compactly. When the screen is in use, the frames may be disposed so that the curtains are all supported in a single vertical plane while the base portions rest on the floor and occupy a minimum amount of space. The frames are essentially simple in structure and are very rugged. They may be more economically manufactured than any folding screens heretofore used for the same purpose.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a folding screen for a hospital bed which screen is self supporting when disposed in a single vertical plane.

It is a further object to provide a folded screen including a rectangular frame having one side bent in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the frame to form a base for supporting the frame in a vertical position.

It is a further object to provide a folding screen having a plurality of identical frame sections. The lower side of each frame being similarly bent so that the bent sides nest with each other when the screen is folded.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will readily become apparent from the following description taken together with the drawing, wherein:

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Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a screen embodying the invention, showing the screen in partially extended position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in a horizontal plane on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 with the screen in a fully extended position.

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 with the screen in a fully folded position.

'In Fig. 1 is shown a plurality of substantially rectangular frames 10, 11, 12 formed of straight cylindrical metal rods or bars. Removable fabric curtains 13, 14 and 15 each attached to curtain rods 16, 17 are supported by parallel sides 20, 21 of the frames. The lower side 18 of each frame is bent to form a Z-shaped base for the frame as shown in Fig. 2. The plane of each base 18 is perpendicular to the vertical plane in which the coplanar sides 20, 21, 22 are supported.

In Fig. 3 is shown the manner in which curtains 13, 14, 15 may be disposed in a single vertical plane. The vertical portions of frames 10, 11, 12 are all coplanar while the base sections 18 lie on the floor with similar V-shaped portions P, P of each base member lying on opposite sides of the vertical plane in which curtains 13, 14 and 15 are disposed.

The upright sides of adjacent frames are attached by hinge means such as rings 19 which permit the screen to be folded. Thus as shown in Fig. 4, the screen is folded with the bases 18 nesting together and with the curtains disposed parallel to each other. When the screen is so folded it may be stored so as to occupy a small fraction of the space heretofore required for conventional hospital bed screens. As many frames as desired may be attached to each other to form a fiat screen of any desired length. This arrangement is possible because each frame is self supporting and does not depend on an adjacent frame for support. In addition to disposing the curtains in a single plane, the screen is adapted to disposing the adjacent curtains at any desired angle as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Since the frames are formed of tubular members they may readily be fabricated by mass production methods at minimum cost. The simplified structure of the screen renders its easier to clean and keep clean than conventional screens and makes it more sanitary for hospital use. It is possible to sterilize the several frame members since they have no parts which can be injured by any usual sterilizing process, particularly if the frames are made of stainless steel, aluminum, or other noncorroding material. The frames may be formed of hollow tubular material instead of solid bar material if desired.

Although only a single embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, this has been done by way of illustration only. it is not intended that the invention be regarded as limited to this embodiment since many changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed and desired to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A folding screen for a hospital bed consisting of a plurality of identical sections, each section including a substantially rectangular frame formed of cylindrical material said frame having three coplanar straight sides and a Z-shaped base, said base having V-shaped portions disposed in one plane substantially perpendicular to another plane containing the other three sides, with the V-shaped portions of the base lying on opposite sides of said other plane, a removable curtain supported in each frame by the coplanar sides in said other plane, and hinge means securing the frames together, whereby the Patented Sept. 1-7, 1957- Z-shaped bases nest in each other when the screen is folded and all of the curtains are coplanar when thescreen is fully extended, said Z-shaped bases rendering said frames independently stable at all times including such time when saidframesare fully extended. i r

2. A folding'screen comprising a plurality of frames hinged together adapted for independent stability Whenset up and extended into a single vertical plane as required in use, and for being folded into a compact bundle when col-lapsed for storage, each frame comprising a substantially integral bar having two parallel vertical side sections and a horizontal Z-shaped base section, said Z-shaped sections of said frames being similarly disposed when said frames, are extended, each said base comprising two arm portions extending in opposite direc ill tions from the bottoms of the respective vertical side sections and a diagonal portion joining the opposite ex trernities of said arm portions, means for hinging the adjacent vertical sections of adjacent frames to one another adapting said adjacent frames to fold over one another so as to nest said Z-shaped base sections with said arm portions and diagonal portions of the adjacent Z-sections seating closely against one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

